Drawer for sewing-machine stands or other articles of furniture.



No. 697,582. I Patented Apr. 15,1902;

. s. H. WHEELER. DRAWER FOR SEWING MACHINE STANDS OBDTHER ARTICLES 0F FURNITURE,

2 sheets-sheet I.

(No Model.)

j/NVE/VTOH ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

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Patented Apr. l5, I902. s. H. WHEELER.

DRAWER FOR SEWING MACHINE STANDS OR. OTHER ARTICLES 0F FURNITURE.

(Application filed Oct. 28,1901.)

llllllllm J W/TNESSES INVENTOH A TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. WHEELER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WHEELER & WILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,582, dated April 15, 1902.

Application filed October 28, 1901. Serial No. 80,237. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. WHEELER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Drawers for Sewing-Machine Stands or other Articles of Furniture,of which the following a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to drawers or trays for sewing-machine cabinets or stands and other articles of furniture, and has for its object to provide means whereby such drawers or trays will be prevented from wedging in their respective slideways when moved outward or inward, a fault frequently occurring with ordinary drawers.

Drawers or trays,and especially those which are loosely fitted or'are of a width considerably greater than their depth, have a tendency to cramp and become wedged in their frames or supports, and hence demand careful manipulation. By my construction I seek to effect a parallel alinement of drawers and guideways, and thus obviate the necessity for the exercise of such care as is required in the manipulation of prior constructions.

The invention consists of a drawer mounted in laterally-yielding ways, whereby all tendency to cramp or wedge is overcome.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like parts are 7 similarly designated, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sewing-machine stand equipped with my improved drawer, the top or table of the stand being removed and the usual treadle and driving-wheel omitted. Fig. 2 is a mutilated end elevation of the upper part of the stand looking from the right of Fig. 1, with the drawer pulled out to the position where its contents are accessible. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the drawer. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the laterally-yielding ways. Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line A B of Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating modified forms of my invention. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a form of drawer which may used in connection with the construction illustrated in Fig. 7 and showing in dotted lines a drawer equal in depth to the length of the sides.

1 1 are the usual supporting legs or frame of the stand,held together at the top bya brace 2 in the usual or any approved manner.

The drawer 3 is of any approved shape, in the present instance being in width sufiicient to span the space between the two sets of legs 1 and provided with a slide 4 at each side and adapted to work in laterally-yielding or resilient ways 5. The slides 4 are made, preferably, of round stock driven into holes 6, bored in the ends 7 of the drawer,and secured by nails or other fastenings 8; but the slides may be applied in any other way. The yielding ways 5 are suitably grooved at 9 to receive the slides 4, and said ways are secured in place by nails 10 or other means, which pass through the ways and enter stationary end pieces 11, secured to the legs of the stand. The forward or outer ends of the Ways are left unsecured, so that they are free to yield laterally after the manner of a spring. The groove 9, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is open at the bottom, thus permitting the slides to rest upon the upper edge of the end pieces 11, said slides being thereby housed between said end pieces and ways. (See Figs. 2 and 5.)

In order to prevent the complete withdrawal of the slides 4 from the ways, I provide stops 12 on said slides, which when the drawer is pulled out to its farthest position come in con= tact with the inner sides of the legs, as shown in Fig. 2. Said stops may consist of screws secured in the slides; but other means of securing the drawer against removal may be used.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the yielding ways 13 secured to the under side of the table-top, the grooves 14 in said ways being slightly different in shape from the groove shown in Fig. 4 and arranged on the inner sides of the ways and facing each other. The stops 12 in Fig. 6 cooperate with projections 15 on the under side of the table-top.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated an additional modification of the drawer and ways, the latter being shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 4, but applied to the under side of the table-top in an inverted position, the bottomsupporting portion 16 being partly disconnected by a saw-cut 17 to lessen the stiffness of the laterally-yielding side 18. The side pieces 19 of the drawer in these views project beyond the drawer to form guiding-slides, whose function and operation are analogous to the slides 4. As seen by the dotted lines in Fig. 8, the drawer instead of comprising a front tray-like structure with side slides may have an inner or back piece at the extremities of the sides, thus making a drawer equal in depth to the length of its slides or sides.

Referring to Figs. 2, 4, 6, and 7, I have illustrated the yielding Ways as held in place by means of nails driven into a stationary member, but do not limit the invention to such details.

What I claim is- Adrawer-frame, havingdrawer-supports composed of similar parallel strips rigidly secured at their inner ends to the frame, with their outer ends free and yielding, to adapt themselves to any irregularity in the inward movement of the drawer, and forming ways in which the drawer is moved.

2. A drawer-frame, having parallel drawersupports rigidly secured at their inner ends to the frame, and having unconfined outer ends grooved to receive the drawer and adapted to yield to conform to and rectify any irregularity in the inward movement of the drawer.

3. Asewing-machine stand,having parallel ways rigidly secured thereto at their inner ends, and with their outer ends grooved longitudinally to receive and support the drawer and free to yield laterally to compensate for any irregularity in the movement of the drawer, combined with a drawer having slides to engage the grooves in said ways, substantially as described.

4. A drawer, having round rods projecting rearwardly therefrom and constituting slides, combined with grooved strips secured at their rear ends only and free to yield laterally at their forward ends, and constituting ways to receive said slides and support and guide the drawer in opening and closing the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of October, A. D. 1901.

SAMUEL H. WHEELER.

WVitnesses:

ISAAC HOLDEN, FRANK M. WOOTTON. 

